Eight cattle have been stolen from a property on Tasmania’s east coast, with police now turning to the public for help to find them.
The Angus cattle disappeared from paddocks near St Marys in three separate thefts between early January and mid-June this year.
Police say the landholder reported the losses recently. The cattle are worth about $17,000.
The first animal to go missing was a single Angus steer, allegedly taken sometime between January 6 and January 15.
Two Angus heifers were then reportedly stolen between January 22 and February 3.
The largest theft came last, with five in-calf Angus cows taken between April 20 and June 8.
All eight cattle are black. Each has a yellow ear tag marked “Killymoon” with individual details and a white National Livestock Identification System tag.
Police are now appealing for help from anyone who has seen cattle matching that description.
They are also seeking information about anything unusual along Harefield Road at St Marys, including “unfamiliar vehicles, stock trucks or trailers or unusual movement of livestock”.
Police say rural properties can be targeted because they are isolated.
“Offenders may take advantage of large properties where stock are not checked routinely,” they said.
They are encouraging landholders to keep an eye out for each other.
“Maintaining regular contact with neighbours and reporting anything out of the ordinary can play an important role in preventing this type of offending,” police said.
Anyone with information can call Tasmania Police on 131 444 and quote offence report 807849.
